Graduation rates hit record in Montana

HELENA – Montana saw record high school graduation rates in the latest school year.

The Office of Public Instruction reports that the statewide four-year graduation rate for the 2017-2018 school year checked in at 86.4%, rising from 85.8% for the previous school year.

The new rate is the highest percentage since 2011 when Montana began using a four-year cohort definition to calculate graduation rates.

American Indian students also achieved record high graduation rates for the most recent school year, with a statewide average of 67.6%, up a bit from the 2017 average graduation rate was 67.5%.

Education officials note the 2017-2018 rate is substantially greater than the 2016 rate of 63.0%.

“I am proud to see so many Montana students succeeding in their high school careers,” State Superintendent Elsie Arntzen said Thursday. “The OPI has been working with schools to promote not only high school completion but also skill development that allows Montana students to enter the workforce or higher education prepared to succeed.”

“Additionally, we have begun new school improvement efforts this year to close long-standing achievement gaps that exist with our American Indian students,” Arntzen added in a news release.

Click here to view the full details on Montana’s 2017-2018 school year graduation data.